London Gearing Up For Growth
Tech Alliance will be hosting the third annual Gearing Up for Growth conference on March 27th at the London Convention Centre. The one day conference is an opportunity for the Southwestern Ontario business community to learn from internationally renowned experts and business leaders on how to seize opportunities, overcome challenges and maximize profitability for their companies. Leonard Brody, President of the Clarity Digital Group and Emmy-nominated tech visionary, will kick off the conference at the Power Breakfast. Later in the day, Dani Reiss, CEO of Canada Goose and Tod Maffin, one of North America’s leading digital marketing experts, as well as COO and senior strategist at Media Strategies will speak. The event is made possible by numerous sponsors. Those interested in attending can purchase tickets directly at http://www.gearingupforgrowth.ca/
Federal Investment Announced for Western Research Park
Consistent with the government’s commitment to creating jobs and growth in London, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southwestern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) has announced a new investment of up to $1,798,500 for the Western University Research Park. This contribution has been allocated to help current and future graduates of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM Programs) gain skills and experience through internships with local small and medium-sized businesses.
The investment, provided through the FedDev Ontario Graduate Enterprise Internship Program, will support partnerships between students and businesses based on mentorship and skill development. Click here to learn more.
NDS Technologies Inc. Growing Quickly in London
NDS Technologies Inc., a leading global provider of end-to-end software solutions for the pay television industry has enjoyed a great deal of prosperity in a short amount of time since setting up Canadian offices in London. In the two years since the company’s arrival in early 2010, demand for NDS technologies products and services has grown tremendously.
“It’s great to see the rapid growth of NDS Technologies Canada,” notes Larry MacKinnon, Director of Business Development in Technology at the London Economic Development Corporation. “Their products and solutions are in demand and they’ve taken full advantage of the benefits of situating in London to grow the business.”
Fueled by a demand from television consumers for digital content that can be enjoyed on an ever-expanding selection of internet-enabled devices such as connected televisions, tablets, smart phones and game consoles, NDS now provides over one-third of the world’s digital pay t.v. household with the technologies to discover, navigate and interact with digital content. To learn more about NDS Technologies, visit: http://www.nds.com/
For Manufacturers Only Conference Draws Industry Leaders
On March 7th, the London Economic Development Corporation hosted the annual For Manufacturers Only conference at the London Convention Centre. Guests of the event represented manufacturing companies from across the industry, supporting government agencies, and a selection of presenters speaking on a wide range of topics important to the industry.
“It was great to see so many of our manufacturing leaders today,” noted LEDC Director of Business Growth and Retention, Steve Glickman. “The manufacturing industry has faced some challenges in the recent past but there are encouraging signs. Seeing the wealth of expertise and creativity here today, one can’t help but feel a sense of optimism.”
The annual event is free to members of the London Region Manufacturing Council and is a collaborative initiative between the London Economic Development Corporation, the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium the London Region Manufacturing Council, and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters of Ontario. The event was also made possible by the support of local sponsors, including: Deloitte, Royal Bank of Canada, London Hydro, Harrison Pensa, Union Gas, Western University, and Fanshawe College.
Venture London Finalists Named
With $50,000 in cash and prizes on the table, finalists for Venture London are getting ready to put their best face forward. Venture London is a business competition that fosters entrepreneurialism in the city. Existing and emerging businesses were encouraged to write a business plan and submit it to a panel of judges who provided insight and ranked the plans. Finalists are now waiting for the results. Join the LEDC, Small Business Center and TechAlliance April 4th when the winners will be announced by registering at the Venture London Awards page.
Research and Training Dollars available through MITACS
Mitacs is a national not-for-profit organization connecting companies with research expertise in Canadian universities. Mitacs offers a suite of research and training programs to connect companies with top Canadian and international researchers. Mitacs Accelerate, for example, is Canada’s top research internship program, providing interns the opportunity to transfer their skills from theory to real-world application, while giving companies the competitive advantage of accessing high-quality research expertise. Mitacs Enterprise enables small and medium-sized companies the chance to gain fresh ideas and skills through the recruitment of a recent graduates, while the students gain access to mentorship and work experience, helping them to succeed in industry. Other programs include Mitacs Elevate, providing funding for industry-associated postdoctoral research, Mitacs Globalink, which recruits international undergraduate students to Canada, Mitacs Step, providing soft-skills training for graduate students, and Mitacs Outreach, a fun and educational program making science and mathematics more compelling for elementary and high school students.
For more information, please contact the London representative for Mitacs, Jenn MacLean, jmaclean@mitacs.ca, 519 697 2258